The family preservation grant (FAMILY FOCUS RESEARCH PROJECT) was funded for the purpose of providing a comprehensive evaluation of crisis intervention strategies for families at risk for the placement of a child outside the home. It has already been shown that in-home crisis treatment is a more cost-effective procedure than is removing a family member from the home. This project is investigating the comparative costs and benefits of alternatives to family disbandment. The specific strategies under investigation include in-home intervention at the point of crisis, post-crisis training in parenting and community living skills, coordination of existing support systems (networking) and existent community mental health services.